Info-Profits Talk - Error - You must choose a file to generate from.

action

I uploaded the script and put my files in the "htmlfiles" folder but I keep getting this message.

Error - You must choose a file to generate from.

Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong??

Thanks,

Steve :rolleyes:

Kennon

I'm trying to figure it out too!

I did have the exact same thing at first. But then, I may have
made a little headway in that I now got a BLANK PDF file to get
created!

Keep at it and someone will step up to help us.

Kennon :)

Louis

You have to use this format to call the file:

index.php?file=NAME OF FOLDER CONTAINING SOURCE FILES

For example if your folder structure is:

CustomPDF/htmlfiles/PDF1/

You would call it like this:

index.php?file=PDF1

If your folder structure was:

CustomPDF/htmlfiles/TEST/

You would call it like this:

index.php?file=TEST

To use the sample file as an example, the folder structure is:

CustomPDF/htmlfiles/Custom-PDF-Manual/

So to call that file we just use:

index.php?file=Custom-PDF-Manual

You call the FOLDER name, not the FILE name.

And make sure you use the correct case. "TEST" is different to "test".

action

And the light comes on well may just a flicker :blueblink

I see how it works now. You need to make a Sub-directory under the "htmlfiles" directory and then call the sub-directory in the url.

This is where you upload your files. I did find out that you need to name the HTML file "htmlfile.html" in order for it to work or you will just get a blank PDF file.

I hope that last part helps you out Kennon

Thanks for the help Louis

Steve

Kennon

Yes, that helps... I was also blundering by having too complex
html file. I just got a real simple one to work!

Thanks, guys!

Kennon :)
PS- Time for me to crash for some sleep and then make some
REAL PDF's tomorrow!

Louis

Originally posted by action
This is where you upload your files. I did find out that you need to name the HTML file "htmlfile.html" in order for it to work or you will just get a blank PDF file.

As default the script looks for "htmlfile.html"

However, if you would like to keep your source file secure I suggest calling it something very difficult to guess. I usually use random numbers.

If you do this you'll then need to search for the text "htmlfile.html" in both:

index.php & generatepdf.php

And change it to your file name, so that the script knows the name of the file to use as the source.

A further tip:

In each folder that holds your source file (the HTML that gets converted to PDF) I recommend putting a blank index.html file so that people can't browse your folders and take your source.

Kennon

Thanks for the tips Louis.

Right now it's a gradual process for me. I did make a better PDF
file today using more of the features, but I gotta get further along
yet. Hope you keep us posted on tools you come across to make
it easier. I'm certainly looking for things myself.

Is there a template we could use in Dreamweaver or a text
editor?

Since so much of this is new for me, it is difficult to conceptualize
the best way for me to get what I want. I'm working on it and
want to make it work. I believe it will. So, with those things in
mind, do you have a few simple suggestions? I'm wanting to use
this to create my teleseminar transcripts and also I'm tinkering
around with my articles. I have an article at this url for example...

http://www.teleseminaronteleseminars.com/article1.html

I wonder the best way to convert something like this so that it
meets the specs of the CustomPDF Maker. Obviously the tables
have to go and the spacing has to be fixed. At least that's what
I've experienced with testing using another one of my articles.

So, I look forward to further tips.

Thanks,
Kennon :)

Louis

Originally posted by Kennon
Is there a template we could use in Dreamweaver or a text
editor?

I'm not sure a Dreamweaver template would be possible since Dreamweaver will probably introduce a lot of HTML tags not supported by the script, so that will then need a lot of editing.

A template for text editors should work fine. I'll look into putting that together.

Since so much of this is new for me, it is difficult to conceptualize
the best way for me to get what I want. I'm working on it and
want to make it work. I believe it will. So, with those things in
mind, do you have a few simple suggestions? I'm wanting to use
this to create my teleseminar transcripts and also I'm tinkering
around with my articles. I have an article at this url for example...

http://www.teleseminaronteleseminars.com/article1.html

I wonder the best way to convert something like this so that it
meets the specs of the CustomPDF Maker. Obviously the tables
have to go and the spacing has to be fixed. At least that's what
I've experienced with testing using another one of my articles.
[/B]

As mentioned in the "Feedback" thread, please note this is version 1.0 of the software. It's quite particular but as this software matures I hope to make it more flexible and easy to use.

Currently, for any URL you want clickable in the PDF you have to use this format:

%%YOUR CLICKABLE TEXT|DEFAULT URL%%

The funny thing about this script is you have to do this even for URL's that you don't want customised.

For example, if I wanted to include a link to CuteFTP using the following tag:

<a href="http://www.cuteftp.com">Click Here</a>

It doesn't seem to work very successfully with the software at the moment.

So I had to do the following:

NOT use <a href= but instead use:

%%http://www.cuteftp.com|http://www.cuteftp.com%%

This then displays "http://www.cuteftp.com" in the PDF and links to http://www.cuteftp.com

However, this does appear in the personalisation page so you would need to specify to your users not to touch that address. It's also recommended you mention to your users that every URL in the document is listed even if not all of them need customising.

I could have also used this format:

%%Click Here For CuteFTP|http://www.cuteftp.com%%

The text on the left of the | displays and by default links to http://www.cuteftp.com

If you don't include the | like this:

%%My Custom Text%%

The script only customises the text, and doesn't make it clickable.

I hope I've explained this clearly. Please let me know if you have any questions at all.

stev

I keep getting a blank PDF...

I created a subdir "fao" under htmlfiles. I uploaded my html files in this directory and renamed the index.html into htmlfile.html

I then launched

http://....com/CustomPDF/index.php?file=fao

When clicking the generate PDF button I get a blank PDF.

Can someone advise?

Thanks

Stefan Everaet

Louis

Originally posted by stev
I keep getting a blank PDF...

I created a subdir "fao" under htmlfiles. I uploaded my html files in this directory and renamed the index.html into htmlfile.html

I then launched

http://....com/CustomPDF/index.php?file=fao

When clicking the generate PDF button I get a blank PDF.

Can someone advise?

Thanks

Stefan Everaet

To confirm...

This is your folder structure:

CustomPDF/htmlfiles/fao

Your source file is here:

CustomPDF/htmlfiles/fao/htmlfile.html

And you're calling it like this:

CustomPDF/index.php?file=fao

Possible reasons you're getting a blank document:

I assume this isn't the case - but the script is case sensitive, so FAO is different to fao.

I want to confirm that the default source file looked for is still htmlfile.html ? If you look in index.php and generatepdf.php you should find htmlfile.html listed there. If it's a different file name you will need to change your source file name to the file name referenced.

Another reason I can think of is that your code is not clean enough for the script. That's what causes a lot of problems.

You may want to put your source code through this page to see what comes back:

http://www.xml.com/pub/a/tools/ruwf/check.html

stev

Hi Louis,

Thanks for your reply.

Settings were all OK but my html was too complex.

I tried with a simple web page and it worked!

Thanks again!

Stefan :blueblink

ProfitsCC

Hi Louis,

I also kept getting a blank PDF file... just like Stefan.

Then, I've placed in the 'test' folder a simple and short text file, with an HTML extension, and yes, I've managed to create a very simple PDF file. Glad about it! :)

Does this mean that complex PDF files can't be created with your script?

I am currently unable to convert to a PDF file my 'normal' HTML files...

Please advise.

Thanks.

Armando B Silva

Louis

Originally posted by ProfitsCC
Does this mean that complex PDF files can't be created with your script?

I am currently unable to convert to a PDF file my 'normal' HTML files...

This script does not support pure HTML. What it supports is several tags in XML format. This has to be a lot cleaner than standard HTML.

To test how clean your document is you can use the following page:

http://www.xml.com/pub/a/tools/ruwf/check.html

To demonstrate what PDF functionality this script supports, I've included a sample document here:

http://www.infoprofitstalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=187